Tankers head to S. California

BOISE – Fire officials in Boise are sending four military tankers to Southern California, in case high winds expected for that region next week whip up wildfires.

The C-130s, equipped with tanks for up to 3,000 gallons of retardant, are being sent to the Channel Islands Naval Air Station at Port Hueneme. The planes are normally stationed in Colorado and Wyoming.

Weather forecasts for Southern California call for another strong Santa Ana wind event starting Tuesday, with gusts up to 70 miles per hour.

Rose Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, says the combination of these factors can lead to dangerous fire behavior.

Devastating Southern California fires in October burned more than 500,000 acres, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and killed 10 people.